Gross & Sparkles – a round-up of the latest slimy, sticky, sensory and sparkly innovations

Something for everyone

Whether they love slime and revolting toys, or prefer glitter and sparkle, this category has something that should appeal to all your small customers!

Carrie Ann Booth, founder of The Science Booth

Ravensburger

Gross slime and glittery sparkly toys can appeal to a variety of senses - and a variety of children.

Carrie Ann Booth is founder of The Science Booth, a science edu-tainment provider based in Cumbria. She says: “Slime is one of my best-selling workshops and from a scientist’s point of view I couldn’t be happier. Slime is science - not only that, it is high-level chemistry in which we can start having some engaging conversations about polymers and non-Newtonian fl uids. I’ve even been known to use slime making with GCSE students in order to nail their understanding of scientifi c enquiry.

Beyond that, we also must remember that we don’t need to teach (in the traditional sense) science to very young Thames & Kosmos

The benefits of sensory toys

children as they are the best natural scientists. I know. Ask the retailer Science is part of What do you stock in this category?their everyday life as they question We stock Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty and several everything, ponder different slimes and putties from H. Grossman their surroundings and wholesalers. We stocked Pushpoppers [from and naturally H Grossman under its HGL brand] in time for explore whatever half-term. I’ve heard them called all sorts! One is put in front customer said: ‘Bubble wrap out of rubber!’ They of them.’’ are a pocket money line, and pocket money toys And when it sell very well for us. comes to gross Dan Lovett, The Toy Box, Beccles, Suffolk stuff, another popular workshop is Carrie’s edible poo session. “Why is it eat their creations. Most children think that every fi ve-year-old is obsessed with this is hilarious, but many of the adults wee and poo? My little girl talks about fi nd this diffi cult to stomach!’’ it, draws it and looks at it in the toilet’’ Slime is proving to be quite an The Science Booth offers a disgusting evergreen product, according to Julia digestion demonstration and an edible Loeser, science kit sales, marketing & PR poo workshop; both are full of manager at Thames & Kosmos: “Slime laughs and squeals. is one of those products that just keeps “Children love getting coming back, again and again. down and dirty with the “We’ve recently seen an increase in ‘intestines’ and modelling buying interest among end-users in our how our food begins to award-winning Ooze Labs series, which turn into wee and poo! allows children from the age of six to have Once we’ve fully explored slippery, goopy fun while conducting the biological journey of awesome chemistry experiments. The making wee and poo, we two kits we currently offer in the range, have the exciting task of Alien Slime Lab and Ooze Labs Chemistry making edible poo. Most station, can be combined to create the children are absolutely ultimate laboratory.’’ ecstatic at creating their very own poo And it’s going nowhere any time out of simple ingredients (digestive soon, she adds: “Forecast fi gures and biscuits, golden syrup and melted conversations we’ve had with our retail chocolate). The real psychological twist customers strongly indicate that the comes when the children are allowed to buying power in slime kits is defi nitely here to stay.’’ H. Grossman CEO David Mordecai agrees: “Gross will always be funny to children and we will continue to marry Georgina Durrant, author of 100 Ways Your Child Can Learn Through Play, explains how the latest trends to this concept to beneficial sensory toys such as putty and slime can be. “Sensory toys are simply toys make it topical. Glittery items will that stimulate a child’s senses. Slime, for example, is wonderful for stimulating a child’s always be around, mesh balls are sense of touch. Sensory toys can be brilliant for helping children relax and de-stress. really popular at the moment, and our Squishing, rolling, kneading and generally playing with tactile resources such as putty new range of unicorn mesh balls are can be a great activity for children to take part in after a busy day, helping them to looking good - again it’s about tapping forget their worries and focus on the feel of the material in their hands instead. Some into what fashion trends are around and parents find that they can be extremely useful as a resource to use before bedtime, giving it extra sparkle!’’ helping children to go to sleep more easily. Play-Doh and similar toys are also amazing Sensory toys are a big market for H. for developing fine motor skills and hand strength, which are really important for Grossman, with Pushpoppers being the learning to write. latest big thing. Every retailer we speak

“For some children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) sensory toys can to tells TnP how popular they are, so be particularly useful. They can help children who are feeling overwhelmed or what’s next? ”If I told you that we would overstimulated to find calm, by enabling them to focus on one sense. For children be giving away the very best of our trade who are blind or have some degree of visual impairment, tactile sensory toys can be secrets!’’ says David “Watch this space…’’

wonderfully accessible toys.’’

Popping to the loo!

H. GROSSMAN

01603 397 105 sales@tobar.co.uk

H. Grossman has all sides of this divide covered, and in this case all that glitters is most definitely sales gold! From the latest craze of the year, HGL Pushpoppers, there’s a range of glittery offerings in all shapes and sizes. As seen on This Morning on ITV, Pushpoppers are available in all shapes and sizes and at pocket money prices. HGL reports seeing sales numbering in the millions.

Balls have been major sellers this year too, and as we head further into the outdoor season, H. Grossman has Glitter Balls to rival anything that Strictly can offer! Glitter mesh balls, Glitter puffer balls that light up, and Air Glitter Gel balls, which also light up when squeezed. The squishy air glitter animal assortment includes a crab, spider, manta ray, whale, rabbit and, of course, a unicorn.

Another great popular combination are rainbows and glitter – the Rainbow Glitter Water Baton fits the bill; sparkling rainbows to accompany any would-be cheerleader. Continuing with the sparkly best sellers - where would we be without slime and putty? It seems as though the popularity of the squishy stuff continues to grow every year. Glitter putty and slime abound, and as a crossover into the ‘gross’ section, take a look at Unicorn Poo, a mega-selling line for HGL.

And then we have the Gross…. there’s Toilet Noise Putty in its own toilet-shaped tub. Just push your fingers into the pan to make a series of flatulent sound effects! Or go for the more fanciful Dinosaur poo (and you can get this complete with a figurine) or opt for Flamingo poo or even mermaid poo. There’s even rainbow-shaped poo balloon balls. Really gross is the squeezy poo line of key chains – these assortments are available in jungle animals or farm animals, just squeeze and poo pops out! Thankfully it pops back in again too. The squeezy poo alien key ring has an alien figure which, when squeezed, has brown brains that pop out. Of course, the classic dog

Guess what? poo putty is always a winner (and very lifelike) and a real

This summer’s craze vintage classic shock toy is from H. Grossman - the whoopee cushion, still a

Pushpoppers - have best seller all year round. sold in their millions! For everything gross and glitter, take a look at H. Grossman.

Coming up trumps!

FUNRISE

salesUK@Funrise.com https://funrise.com

Funrise UK’s hilarious Fart Ninjas brand, which combines the evergreen play patterns of gross toys and collectables, continues to illustrate that hitting a bum note is never a bad thing when it comes to entertaining children! This frequently refreshed line-up of farting figures now comprises an impressive assortment of characters and poses. Kids can choose from a hilarious selection of outrageously crude names, as well as a variety of creative formats from this silent butt deadly property.

Available at pocket money prices, there are motion sensor activated Fart Ninja Figures that produce realistic fart sounds for unsuspecting passers-by. And there are also the Fart Ninjas XL Figures that come with a remote control that allows kids to ‘fart on demand’, as well as a record and play back function for kids to capture their own fart noises. After all, what young boy wouldn’t want to launch a fart attack on his friends and family?!

Simba adds some sparkle

SISO TOYS

01620 674 778 sales@sisotoysuk.com.

When it comes to sparkles, no franchise offers more glamour than Disney Princess! And as the UK distributor of the Disney Plush range, Simba Smoby Toys UK presents a royal collection of Disney Princess Plush characters.

Kids will love these adorable Disney Princess plush toys. Suitable for children from birth upwards (because everyone loves Disney), each cute and chunky, super soft Disney Princess toy is 17cm tall, which makes them perfect for bedtime snuggles and cuddles onthe-go!

Thanks to their familiar styles, and the attention to detail, these Disney Princess toys will bring the magic of Disney to life. This lovable collection includes Cinderella, Belle, Mulan, Rapunzel, Snow White, Aurora, Moana, and Ariel. What child wouldn’t want to host a tea party for all their Disney Princess pals?

Each collection benefits from its own focused PR and marketing activity.

Slime time

THAMES & KOSMOS

01580 713000 www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk

Slime is one of those products that just keeps coming back, and with Thames & Kosmos’ Ooze Labs range, children from the age of six can conduct experiments with slippery, slimy, gloopy, oozy and awesome chemistry!

With Alien Slime Lab you are the lead chemist in your very own out-of-thisworld laboratory. And with Ooze Labs Chemistry Station, kids from the age of eight can grab their beakers and test tubes and step up to their special laboratory station for exciting chemistry experiments. Combine both, and you get the ultimate laboratory experience.

Oozing with gross collectables!

CHARACTER OPTIONS

0161 633 9800 sales@charactergroup.plc.uk.

Character Options’ Treasure X brand continues to illustrate the relentless demand for gross play patterns in the boys aisle, with fresh product lines launching for the second half that present kids with disgusting new compounds to discover!

Treasure X remains a top choice when it comes to gross collectables, with each season introducing a new aspect to the reveal and collect concept. Big news for A/W21 is the Treasure X Monster Gold. Kids will love the Monster Coffi n packs, which each contain a 5in monster-sized fi gure, submerged in a creepy new spider egg compound. Search to fi nd hidden ingredients to create a bubbling slimy elixir, then pour over the coffi n to watch the monster pop up! Kids can then continue their ghoulish quest by cracking open the creature’s head to discover glow-in-the-dark treasure. Finally, discover the Brain Jar and place the Monster’s Brain inside its head and bring him back to life again.

Meanwhile, the hero line of the range is the Mega Monster Lab, which lets kids create the ultimate monster. Things don’t get much more disgusting than digging about in slime to fi nd loose body parts, or injecting slime into the monster’s body to bring him to life. This mad scientist lab playset is packed with 20 levels of adventure and comes with multiple compound experiences, an exclusive fi gure and guaranteed real gold-dipped treasure!

Glitter by numbers

RAVENSBURGER

01869 363830 www.ravensburger.com

New to the arts & crafts category in 2021 from Ravensburger is CreArt, a range of painting-by-numbers products. The Royal Horse features a glitter frame, as well as glitter and varnish to add to the fi nished painting-bynumbers masterpiece. And the very cute Cuddly Bunny has glittering gems and varnish to add a 3D look to the painting. Autumn/Winter launches will see more additions to the glitter effect section with Festive Friends; a striking stag and red robin, a Pawesome Polar bear as well as a Delightful Deer with glittering gems to attach to the fi nished creation.

Glitter up!

SPIN MASTER

01628 535 000 www.spinmastertoys.co.uk

Spin Master has an exciting selection of sparkly toys Spin Master has an exciting selection of sparkly toys that will add a little bit of glitter to anyone’s day. Kids who want to fully sparkle will love the new Cool Maker Go Glam Glitter Nails Kit. With six different colours of glitter and everything needed for the perfect manicure, it’s a great glitter and everything needed for the perfect manicure, it’s a great pocket money purchase for a budding beautician.

In addition, Spin Master’s Twisty Girlz are great for an extra dose of glam and style. With the theme of ‘Girls Night Out’, each Twisty Girl transforms from a fashionable doll into an actual wearable bracelet. Each Twisty Girlz features a different stylish outfi t and cool hairstyle and comes with a secret Twisty Pet, which can also turn into a blingy, sparkly ring.

Bright sparks

CRAFT BUDDY

0203 417 6565 www.craftbuddyltd. co.uk

At Craft Buddy, it’s all about sparkle with the Crystal Art range. In addition to its successful Disney licensed Crystal Art range, Craft Buddy continues to appeal to children of all ages with Crystal Art Frameables kits for younger crafters, incorporating all children need to make and display their creations. Luminous Tree Frog, colourful Rainbow Llama, starstudded Rainbow Cupcake and friendly Sea Turtle are all new additions for this summer.

Dazzling and vibrant, eye-catching new designs have also been introduced across the company’s cards and notebook collections. The natural world can now be recreated as sparkling works of art featuring a host of lovable creatures and fl ora and fauna including 18 x 18cm Crystal Art cards depicting an array of animals and birds. Technicolor Rainbow Toucan and cute and cuddly Koala Hugs feature alongside Penguin Family, Turtle Paradise, and Unicorn Garland for crafters to create stunning cards.

New Crystal Art Notebooks featuring detailed Elephant, Lion, Peacock and Rose images are being launched alongside multiple different designs introduced into the Crystal Art canvas kits.

Make and create

JURATOYS

020 8878 2133 www.janod.com

The 2021 Janod collection includes more than 115 fantastic craft products to choose from, aimed at ages three to 10. Jewellery and beads, cards to decorate, characters to make... children will have fun as they create their own works of art based on their favourite theme.

A great way to keep kids entertained and to learn new skills along the way, Janod’s French designs, created in collaboration with Hachette, will not disappoint.

Make adorable patterned dinosaur images with scratch art, suitable for ages fi ve and over, or design a unicorn plaque that will take pride of place in any bedroom with the Spool Knit Unicorn Decor kit for kids aged eight and over. Children in that age group will also enjoy making some stylish bracelets for themselves and a friend with the 2 Multirow Bracelet kit. There are plenty more craft items in the range to get kids creative.

The products are perfect for parents who are looking for new ways to keep their children entertained and away from screens, while teaching new skills such as crochet, beading, and mosaics for older kids, and learning colours for preschoolers.

A shining example

FLAIR

0208 643 0320 sales@fl airplc.co.uk.

Flair and Just Play is putting on a dazzling display with its Disney Doorables and Love, Diana collections.

There’s a sparkly surprise in store behind every door with Disney Doorables. Kids will love revealing all the characters hidden behind surprise doors. Available as Mini Peek Packs, Multi Peek Packs and as A’Doorable Mini Playsets, there are 62 glittery-eyed characters already available to collect, with a further 45 characters to fi nd in the second half of the year. What’s more, come A/W21, fans can collect the special edition Disney Princess fi gures with glittery gold accents. Girls will love revealing the Disney Princesses hidden behind surprise doors in the new Disney Princess Glitter and Gold Collector Pack!

Also new for A/W21 is the Beyond the Door Frozen Playset. It opens up to reveal a glistening ice rink on one side and Elsa’s bedroom on the other and it comes with three fi gures and four accessories. There’s also the Beyond the Door Little Mermaid Playset, which comes with Ariel, Sebastian and Flounder fi gures and four accessories. The set opens up to reveal an impressive underwater seascape, with an interactive feature – kids will love placing Ariel on the base and watching as the wave splashes up!

Meanwhile, there is a whole love of sparkly princess play to be enjoyed with the Love, Diana roleplay range.

Slime is out of this world! this world!

ZIMPLI KIDS

01254 460006 www.zimplikids.com

Zimpli Kids is taking its popular Slime Play into outer space with the new Galaxy Slime Play, which is launching very soon. Unleash your inner Slime Scientist and create a popping, colour-changing, multi-sensory experiment with the Galaxy Slime Play. First, turn your water into Clear Glitter Slime, then add in the Crackle Baff Colours to watch the colours change and listen to the Slime crackle. Finally, add in the glow-in-the-dark stars, switch off the light, and watch them glow! The Galaxy range is certifi ed biodegradable, skin safe, stain-free and drain safe.